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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Fear of Being Gay in Russia
Moscows first gay pride parade was held in May 2006, thirteen years after homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, the beginning of a new era of openness for the LGBT community.
It didnt quite work out that way. LGBT marchers that day clashed with riot police, who tried to stop the event. We disturbed something very deeply rooted in Russian society, some very evil power of intolerance and violence, says Nikolai Baev, a prominent LGBT rights activist who attended the march.
Only a few months later, Russia saw its first regional anti-gay law passed in Ryazan, 200 miles east of Moscow. It was the first official sign that the Russian authorities would resist the LGBT movementa resistance that has grown and become increasingly violent as LGBT activism has grown over the last decade.
That violence hit Dmitry Chizhevsky in November 2013 when he attended a weekly meeting for the LGBT community and friends called the Rainbow Tea Party in Saint Petersburg. It was a place to socialize, drink some tea and play some games, Chizhevsky says. It wasnt a political event, and Chizhevsky wasnt much for protests.
The old town had a hectic feeling that weekend as the 10th Annual March Against Hatred took place in the citys gracious main streets. The next day, on November 3, the tea party was more crowded than usual.
I saw two guys next to the door wearing masks, Chizhevsky recalls. After that I heard shots. The first one hit my eye. They yelled, Where will you run, faggot? and one hit me several times with a baseball bat. Then the attackers ran away. One of the small balls [from a pneumatic pistol] stayed behind my eye. The police ran a rather lackluster investigation and no one was ever arrested.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/03/russia-putin-lgbt-violence-116202.html#ixzz3V8kzoDrR
Behind the Aegis
(53,994 posts)The situation is getting worse. With the calls by Russia to disallow benefits to go to UN employees demonstrates that they aren't even satisfied with their homohatred being limited to The Motherland.
Rex
(65,616 posts)For people that actually pay attention to history. I've been increasingly worried about Russia over the years. Things are getting worse and worse there.
Behind the Aegis
(53,994 posts)Sadly, too many are refusing to face facts and some are actually laying the blame at the feet of gay people for being "too sensitive" and "not really understanding the law or its purpose...but, oh, it's bad."
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)The US should provide asylum for all GLBT Russians. Not too long before they'll be wearing pink triangles there.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)This is what the Putin boot-lickers at DU support.
Thanks for posting.
Sid